Tsubasa Arawashi

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The Tsubasa Arawashi (ツバサ・アラワシ) is a 3×4 camera sold by the Japanese company Optochrom in 1939–40.[1]

Name

The Japanese word tsubasa, usually written 翼, means "wing" or "pair of wings", and the word arawashi, usually written 荒鷲, means "wild eagle" or "ace pilot".[2] They appear in katakana (ツバサ and アラワシ) in advertisements seen so far. (An advertisement dated 1940[3] shows a stylized bird of prey with outstretched wings.)

Description

The Tsubasa Arawashi has a crudely shaped metal body. The tubular optical finder is in the middle of the top plate. A large black knurled ring supports the lens and shutter assembly. The film advance is certainly controlled by red windows.

All the models have an everset shutter. The shutter plate is marked TSUBASA SHUTTER at the top with a NE logo between both words, and NEW GOLD at the bottom.

Evolution

Early model, bottom advance

The early model has the advance knob at the bottom right and the back hinged to the left. There are film flanges on both ends of the top plate.

In advertisements dated June and July 1939,[4] this model was offered in two versions:

  • New Gold f/6.3 lens and Tsubasa B, 25–100 shutter (¥20);
  • New Gold f/4.5 lens and Tsubasa T, B, 25–150 shutter (¥30).

In an advertisement dated September 1939,[5] the features were the same but the lens name was changed to Lucomar.

Late model, top advance

The late model has the advance knob at the top left and the back hinged to the right. The body is upside down compared to the previous model. The back latch is modified and consists of a long sliding bar.[6]

This model was advertised in April 1940,[7] in both f/6.3 and f/4.5 versions. The prices were the same and the shutter speeds were not given. The camera was also listed in the list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, under the name "Arawashi" (¥28) with no further detail.[8] It is not known if the set price corresponded to the f/6.3 or to the f/4.5 version.

It seems that an intermediate model exists with the top advance knob, the back hinged to the right and the old type of back latch. It has been observed in an undated catalogue, where it is presented together with the Tsubasa Chrome, Olympic Four and Vest Olympic.[9] An example has also been observed in this configuration, but it has a folding frame finder for 4×6.5cm and 3×4cm format which is obviously not original, and which was perhaps attached to the bottom of the camera.

Notes

  1. Dates: advertisements listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 338.
  2. Sugiyama, p. 11, says that the Arawashi was "named after the famous bomber", but no Japanese aircraft seems to have been called that way.
  3. Advertisement published in the April 1940 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79.
  4. June 1939 advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79. July 1939 advertisement published in Camera, reproduced in this page of the Heiki Seikatsu website.
  5. Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79.
  6. This model is pictured in Sugiyama, item 4101.
  7. Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79.
  8. Template:Kakaku1940 short, type 1, section 3.
  9. Catalogue observed at a Yahoo Japan auction.

Bibliography

Links

In Japanese:

Timeline

Kigawa timeline (edit)
Type 1930s 1940s 1950s
6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3
                                                                                                                                                                                   
3×4 rigid Baby Chrome
Baby Oso Tsubasa Oso
Tsubasa Arawashi ...
4×6.5 telescopic Tsubasa Chrome ...
folding Tsubasa Spring ...
4.5×6 strut folding Semi Chrome B
horizontal folding Tsubasa Super Semi ... _
Tsubasa II Super Semi
Tsubasa Nettar Tsubasa Kiko Three
vertical folding Semi Chrome A Semi Sixteenth
(dates unclear)
Semi Kulax Kiko Semi ... _ Tsubasa Semi
6×6 horizontal folding Gotex ... ... Poppy Six
(dates unknown)
... Carl Six
TLR Kiko Flex Tsubasaflex Graceflex
16mm subminiature ... Poppy
(dates unknown)
...
Manufacturer: ... Kigawa Seimitsu ... Kigawa Kōgaku Carl Kōgaku
Shin Nippon
Distributor: Optochrom-sha ... Nichiei Shōkai Kikō Shōji ...
Cameras whose actual existence is dubious are in a lighter shade.
Cameras in yellow are variants sold and maybe assembled by other companies.